Expand Your Email Horizons

By Lynda Partner

When you use email as part of a comprehensive and integrated online marketing strategy, you can really maximize its power to build brands, increase revenue and strengthen relationships.

Every good marketer knows that to be successful on the Web, you must actively promote your Web site. And we all know that email is one of the fastest, most measurable, and most affordable ways to drive Web site traffic. But when you use email as part of a comprehensive and integrated online marketing strategy, you can really maximize its power to build brands, increase revenue and strengthen relationships. Even with a tight budget, you can raise your visibility and communicate with more people in more targeted ways by supplementing your email marketing efforts with other online activities. Here are three ways to expand your email horizons:

Most people use search engines, portals or directories like Yahoo!, Google and MSN when they want to find something on the Web. Advertising on these Web sites—and Cost-Per-Click (CPC) search listing in particular—is a growing trend among online marketers because it gives you the ability to reach prospects when they're actively searching the Internet for goods and services, and because with the CPC method you only pay when people actually click to your site. Here's how CPC search listings work:

• You determine key words that are used to describe your product or service.
• Decide in advance how much you are willing to pay for someone to visit your Web site.
• When someone searches the Web for your chosen key words, sites with those words appear at or near the top of the results page under search listings.
• When someone clicks on your search listing, you pay the previously agreed upon price.

Once people click-through to your site, it's your Web site's job to offer them a compelling reason to subscribe to your email list (see next section). Depending on the search terms and your opt-in list builder, you can target future email campaigns to the people who searched for a particular term, for even better email marketing results.

Optimize your Web site's meta tags and keywords and then proactively submit your site to search engines on an ongoing basis.

Another low-cost way to improve your success with search engine marketing is to optimize your Web site's meta tags and keywords and then proactively submit your site to search engines on an ongoing basis. Search engine optimization (SEO) is something you can do yourself, although it's not necessarily a simple task, and the rules of engagement are changing all the time. You may want to outsource the job.

Whatever you do, make sure people using search engines can find your site—and subscribe to your email list—quickly and easily. A good ranking on the right search terms can really boost your visibility and your ability to grow a quality opt-in email list.

A good landing page should be an extension of your email, a place on the Web where readers can go for more information or to take immediate action on your offer.

What happens after someone clicks on your link? Spend the time and effort on creating a unique landing page for any particular email offer. A good landing page should be an extension of your email, a place on the Web where readers can go for more information or to take immediate action on your offer. One landing page can do the trick, but some offers demand more.

Microsites have been around for years, but for whatever reason, they aren't as widely used as they should be. microsite, usually between 5 and 10 pages, is a mini-Web site devoted to a particular brand, product, event, topic, etc. A microsite might seem like a lot of effort for one little call-to-action in an email campaign, but think beyond the inbox. Every time you create a microsite, or even a landing page, your presence on the Web gets bigger and more personalized at the same time. Not only can you increase the success of each email campaign, but you can also increase the quality of leads coming in from search engines and the quality of your customer relationships. Would you develop a stronger, more immediate connection to a poodle owner if she landed on your main "pet store" home page or your microsite "poodle store" home page? If you haven't tried email marketing with microsites, put it in your plan this year.

Look for ways to partner with other online marketers who sell complementary products and services.

Lastly, look for ways to partner with other online marketers who sell complementary products and services. Exchange sponsorships in email newsletters or do joint email campaigns. Exchange links or banner ads on your Web sites. Join affiliate programs or start one of your own.

Oftentimes, partnering itself costs you nothing except a little time and effort. Choose partners carefully; consider the quality of their Web site and always check their permission marketing policies before entering into any agreements. Building a comprehensive yet focused partnership community can boost your email marketing success by boosting your credibility, visibility, and reach.

Online marketing is more than just email, more than a Web site, more than a banner ad. But if you're using email as your main online marketing tool, you can increase its effectiveness by increasing your overall online presence—and that takes thinking outside the inbox. Now is the perfect time to start.